Casting news from the TV series

[chairface]

Another update! This time it's a certain Kingsguard with an expletivey nickname. Is anyone familiar with his previous work?

 

[purple_kathryn]

Apparently one of the guys in my section at work is going to be extra-ing in it

(As one of the guardsmen for the king).

 

[TK-421]

Ian McElhinney has been cast as Barristan the Bold (known as BFS around these parts).

Seems like they are close to also casting Ser Ilyn Payne (the one with the best laugh in the series).

 

[Boaz]

chairface!!!! Doh!!!! From your post, I thought that GRRM's own clue about Ser Barristan included that his online name included an expletive... and so I thought that GRRM was lurking here!!! I shoulda known better.

 

[TK-421]

A slew of casting updates from GRRM:

Conleth Hill has been cast as Varys

Rob Ostlere has been cast as Ser Waymar Royce (replacing Jamie Campbell Bower who did the pilot - the prologue is being reshot as they were not happy with it)

Derek Halligan has been cast as Ser Alliser Thorne

Sir John Standing has been cast as Jon Arryn (this one is really interesting, meaning that there will be some sort of flashbacks in the series since Jon Arryn never appears in the books)

Those to come are:

Ser Vardis
Pyp
Grenn
Maester Aemon
Bronn
Lysa Arryn
Robert Arryn
Yoren
Old Nan
Septa Mordane
Renly

I forget how big this cast really is.

 

[Ursa major]

The cast is indeed large.

I hope the audience is not confused by the many characters but is instead impressed with the lengths to which HBO and the producers (and before them, GRRM) have gone to create a living, breathing parallel world.

 

[Boaz]

Well, the casual viewer is bound to be confused. We are the obsessed fans and even we can't keep all the characters straight. Which leads back to the issues that Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings had... namely, in order to keep the audience from being confused with multiple plots, kingdoms, races, languages, heroes, and villains all of these elements were simplified or outright changed from the printed word. Jackson's trilogy was not made for people who've read and reread the story more than thirty times... and it's my bet that HBO's A Song of Ice and Fire will be the same. It will look great, have the highest quality production values, and have terrific acting, but will deviate enough from the details (the special details that make us love the story) to send us scratching our heads.

 

[Ursa major]

You're almost certainly right, Boaz. (Who knew I'd ever write that. ) It's the obvious way for HBO to go.

After all - cue memories** of Now, Voyager - we have the books.







** - Not about the cigarette lighting.

 

[Boaz]

I had the weirdest feeling just now. I don't know if I was dreaming, day dreaming or if I had an out of body experience, but it seemed that Ursa agreed with me.

Hmmmm...

Moving on... and not entirely off topic, call it a tangent...

Stage productions nor films never (well, almost never) surpass to the expectations of those who already invested their time, their imaginations, and their emotions into a story. Rare exceptions, in my opinion, are the films The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Princess Bride, and The Shawshank Redemption and the stage production of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables by Shonberg and Boublil. And just think about other screen adaptations... The Godfather, Fight Club, To Kill A Mockingbird, Jaws, and Bladerunner (just to name a few) are movies that I'd say were great, but not better than the original stories.

I'm not trying to complain about the TV series, I'm just commenting upon the amount of work that is ahead for the crew (especially the writers and directors) if they want to even attempt to meet expectations.

 

[Boaz]

Double post? No. While I was rambling earlier, GRRM was posting on his Not A Blog.

Hand Jon Arryn will be played by Sir John Standing.

Ser Aliser Thorne will be played by Derek Halligan.

Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, aka the Old Bear, will be portrayed by James Cosmo. I must say that I'm stoked with this casting. I like James Cosmo alot. I have no problem with him as the Old Bear, but I kind of always pictured Jeor as looking like Brian Cox. What the heck, Cosmo and Cox were both highlanders in Braveheart and both warrior/generals in Troy.

And I can see GRRM rewriting Mormont's death scene to fit Cosmo's talents...

(Mormont glares at the traitors.)
Mormont: What are you waitin' fer, boy? Do it.
(Ollo looks uncomfortable then hands the dagger to Garth.)
Ollo Lophand: I'll hold him down. You do it.
(Garth looks frightened and hands the dagger to Karl.)
Garth of Greenway: I'll hold him down. You do it.
(Karl stabs Mormont.)
Mormont: That'll wake ye up in the mornin' boy!

And the latest post from his Not A Blog... (I've only included what I consider the highlights.)

And here's the big blast from HBO that I have been promising:

============================================================

GAME OF THRONES

HBO Entertainment
Season one will total 10 episodes
Production is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland and is will begin principal photography on July 26, 2010.

“Game of Thrones” has received funding from Northern Ireland Screen and will shoot in the Paint Hall studio, Belfast, as well as various locations in Northern Ireland. A second location for production will be Malta with assistance from the Malta Film Commission.
==================================

George again, with a few closing comments.

Yes, we will be filming in Malta, rather than returning to Morocco. The Knights Hospitaller were kind enough to build some great sets for us.

"Mhaegan" is little Barra's mother. She has no name in the novel.

Two more directors have been named. This was news to me as well. I'm excited too.

Lysa's son has been renamed for the series. "Robin" instead of "Robert," as in the books. He's still Sweetrobin.

Marillion has not been renamed, though I offered to do so. I was tired of people assuming he was named after the band. I had never heard of the band when I named him, though I've heard a lot about them since.

'nuff said. This should give you plenty to chew on for a few days... while casting continues and we nail down a few more parts. Lots more still to come, including Osha, Shae, and Twyin.

 

[Culhwch]

Lysa's son has been renamed for the series. "Robin" instead of "Robert," as in the books. He's still Sweetrobin.

Makes sense. There's a few too many characters of the same name in the books, easier to keep it straight on film if they alter them slightly. Still a little disappointing and detracting from the source material, though, I feel...

 

[viZion]

Stage productions nor films never (well, almost never) surpass to the expectations of those who already invested their time, their imaginations, and their emotions into a story. Rare exceptions, in my opinion, are the films The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Princess Bride, and The Shawshank Redemption and the stage production of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables by Shonberg and Boublil. And just think about other screen adaptations... The Godfather, Fight Club, To Kill A Mockingbird, Jaws, and Bladerunner (just to name a few) are movies that I'd say were great, but not better than the original stories.

Gotta mostly agree here. The Princess Bride movie was about 1000 times better than the book which was actually pretty terrible and weird. The movie just had a much better dynamic between the characters. I actually think The Godfather and Fight Club were better as movies. Again, Fight Club the book was just terrible and weird. But I think Palahniuk is a love him or hate him writer anyway. The Godfather was mostly good and interesting but the side story focusing on that one chick's vagina is enough to put it below the movie.

 

[Hilarious Joke]

Wow. Maybe I missed these before but in that monster cast list I hadn't known about the following (in italics):

FEATURED CAST IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
Ron Donachie as Ser Rodrik Cassel
Jerome Flynn as Bronn
Conleth Hill as Varys
Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo
Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin

GUEST CAST IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

Josef Altin as Pyp
Gethin Anthony as Renly Baratheon
Ciaran Bermingham as Mord
Esme Bianco as Ros
Susan Brown as Septa Mordane
Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt
Antonia Christophers as Mhaegen
Kate Dickie as Lysa Arryn
Roy Dotrice as Grand Maester Pycelle
Emun Elliott as Marillion
Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn
Jefferson Hall as Ser Hugh of the Vale
Derek Halligan as Alliser Thorne
Rhodri Hosking as Mycah
Margaret John as Old Nan
Finn Jones as Ser Loras Tyrell
Dermot Keaney as Gared
Francis Magee as Yoren
Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark
Brendan McCormack as Ser Vardis Egan
Ian McElhinney as Ser Barristan Selmy
Luke McEwan as Rast
Kristian Nairn as Hodor
Rob Ostlere as Ser Waymar Royce
Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister
Jamie Sives as Jory Cassel
John Standing as Jon Arryn
Conan Stevens as Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane
Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon Targaryen
Miltos Yeromelou as Syrio Forel

I just spent quite a long time googling them all! Very exciting!

 

[Quick Ben]

Wonder if any of the FTA stations here will show it. We don't get much fantasy shows. I can only think of two in recent times being Merlin on Ten (don't know what the ratings have been like but the way they advertise, it seems positive?) and Legend of the Seeker on Fox 8.

Might have to use other means of getting the show

 

[Boaz]

I just spent quite a long time googling them all! Very exciting!

I did not mean to come across as despondent earlier. I am giddy with anticipation. I'm telling everyone of my friends, okay... both, to watch. I'm just trying not to get my hopes up too high... like I did for The Lord of the Rings. I am ecstatic about Peter Dinklage! I'm one of his 2,794 fans on facebook.

And from the Not A Blog, it appears they've cast Osha but I cannot figure out the clue for the actress.

 

[Hilarious Joke]

Wonder if any of the FTA stations here will show it. We don't get much fantasy shows. I can only think of two in recent times being Merlin on Ten (don't know what the ratings have been like but the way they advertise, it seems positive?) and Legend of the Seeker on Fox 8.

I'm hoping it will be popular enough in the States to make it to FTA in Australia. The father of the solicitor who I share an office with is the head of Showtime, and I (rather stupidly, in retrospect) told her that she should tell him to get Game of Thrones for the Showcase channel and she's told her dad and had some news for me but then the boss came in and I haven't found out what it is yet! Bah!

 

[Ursa major]

I see on Wiki that Showtime Australia is unrelated to the US channel (except for the fee they pay for using the name and trademark).

So there is a chance....



I never watched the shows Jerome Flynn was in, so I can't really say how I feel about him playing Bronn. (At first, I didn't even recognise his name, though I had no trouble in recalling the face once I did. I imagine there are many in the UK who will know exactly who he is when either his face or name appear.)

 

[Hilarious Joke]

Yes, and Showtime (on the showcase channel) originally got HBO's True Blood and Dexter (which turned out well for them!). And they ended up on-selling the rights to Dexter to a FTA channel, a season delayed. I can see the same happening for Game of Thrones (I wouldn't wait that long though).

 

[Ursa major]

Dexter was originally shown on Showtime in the US.

I don't know whether they bought the rights to the book(s) or bought the show in.





EDIT: I have seen the first two seasons on TV (on UK terrestrial: ITV1) and now vaguley recall each episode had a screen showing "Showtime Presents" or words to that effect.

.

 

[Hilarious Joke]

Ah, I guess that isn't such a great example then!